Variable hexagon spanner

ABSTRACT

A variable hexagon spanner comprising a handle pivotally interconnected with a spanner head; the spanner head has a nonsymmetrical hexagonal hole into which a cam portion on the handle protrudes a variable amount depending on the angular relationship between the handle and spanner head for positively gripping a hexagonal head positioned in the hole irrespective of the direction of movement of the handle.

United States Patent Fromell [451 June 20, 1972 [54] VARIABLE HEXAGONSPANNER [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Roll Ivar Fromcll,Tabyvagen 71, Box 53, UNITED STATES PATENTS 5-183 21 Taby Swede" 651,5746/1900 Meredith ..s1/9s 22 il Jam 18 1971 l,566,764 12/1925 Murphy..8l/l 10 1,093,388 4/1914 Flack ..8l/l09 [211 App]. No.: 107,154

. Primary Examiner-James L. Jones, Jr. [30] Foreign Application PriorityData Attorney-Town and McGeady Jan. 28, 1970 Sweden 1060/70 [571ABSTRACT A variable hexagon spanner comprising a handle pivotally in- 52us. Cl ..s1 9s,s1 109 "mnnected with a spam head; spanner head has a[51] B25) 13/28 non-symmetrical hexagonal hole into which a cam portionon [58] Field of Search 8] 106 108 the handle protrudes a variableamount depending on the an- 1 gular relationship between the handle andspanner head for positively gripping a hexagonal head positioned in thehole irrespective of the direction of movement of the handle.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJum m2 3,670,604

saw 2 or 2 INVENTOR Rolf Ivor Fromell BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART Aknown variable hexagon spanner comprises a handle pivotally connected toa spanner head. The spanner head has a hexagonal key hole with the halfwhich is spaced a greater distance from the pivot axis having a widthless than the opposite half. The handle has a nose which extends avariable distance into the key hole in dependence on the degree ofrelative pivoting between the handle andthe spanner head.

Hexagon spanners of this type are used on hexagon screws, nuts andsimilar fasteners within a predetermined dimensional range and in usethey automatically adapt themselves to the actual dimension within therange. For convenience, reference will be had to hexagon heads whichterm should be understood to include screw heads, nuts andall othertumable members having six flat sides.

The prior art spanner is used turned one way for spanning or tighteningand has to be turned the other way for loosening the hexagon head. Thisis a drawback since the user of the spanner has to consider whether thespanner is applied onto the hexagon head in the right manner. Anotherdrawback of the prior art spanner resides in that it is not possible towork first in one direction and then with the same grip directly in theopposite direction without turning the spanner; sometimes such a mode ofoperation is highly desirable in mounting and repair techniques. Bearingin mind the necessity of turning the spanner right before applicationthe mostserious drawback of the prior art spanner is probably that itcannot be designed to have the spanner head and the handle disposed inparallel but slightly offset planes or in planes including an angle witheach other. Such a design is necessary where the hexagon head isdisposed on a comparatively large flat surface.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION A general object of the present invention is toprovide a hexagon spanner wherein the above-mentioned drawbacks areobviated. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, thehexagon spanner is principally characterized in that the spanner head ispivotally connected to the handle by means of two pivot pins eachdisposed on anopposite side of the longitudinal axis of the spanner andeach being movable in an arcuate slotof a limited length so that independence on the direction of movement of the handle the spanner headmay pivot around one of the pins which rests against the end of its slotwhile the other one of the pins moves freely in its slot. Further, thehandle has a cam arranged to extend a variable distance into thehexagonal hole in the spanner head depending on the relative angularrelationship between the handle and the spanner head, irrespective ofthe direction of movement of the handle.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated and described two preferredembodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of a hexagon spanner accordingto the present invention with the cooperating parts separated from oneanother;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the hexagon spanner in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the spanner in one position of operation; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the spanner in plan view andside view, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings in particular, andspecifically to FIGS. 1 3, the embodiment of the invention illustratedtherein comprises a longitudinally extending handle 10 and a spannerhead 11 pivotally connected together. The spanner head extendslongitudinally from one end of the handle. The pivotal connection isformed by means of two pins 12, 13, secured to the handle 10, each ofwhich is movable in one of the arcuate slots 14, 15 in the spanner head.Preferably, the pins l2, l3 and the slots 14, 15 are disposed at equaldistances from the longitudinal axis of the tool. As is conventional intools of this type, a hexagonal key hole 16 is designed so that the half16A located at a greater distance from the pivot axis has a side of lesswidth than the opposite side in the other half 1613. The handle has acam 17 extending into the spanner head and adapted to engage a hexagonhead 18 in an operative manner within a predetermined size range in thehexagonal hole irrespective of whether the handle is moved rightwardlyor leftwardly as should be evident from FIG. 3.

In FIG. 3 the spanner head 11 pivots around the pin 12 whereas the pin13 moves freely in the slot 15, and thus the hexagon head would beloosened. If instead the movement was clockwise, that is in tighteningdirection, the spanner head would pivot around the pin 13 whereas thepin 12 would move in its arcuate slot 14.

Preferably, the cam 17 is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinalaxis of the handle so that equal movements are obtained in bothdirections for one and the same hexagon head, but this is not a definiterequirement.

The embodiment of the invention :shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 differs from theone described above with reference to FIGS. 1 3 mainly in that theportion of handle 10A spaced from the spanner head 11 is bent to lie ina plane forming an obtuse angle with the plane containing the spannerhead 11.

Modifications and alterations as to details may be made within the scopeof the appended claims. One such modification would be to provide thehandle or cam portions with the slots and to arrange the pivot pins,such as pins l2, 13, in fixed positions in the spanner head. Also, asset forth in FIGS. 4 and 5, the two arcuate slots may be combined'toform one single opening having two arcuate sides or edge surfaces.

What is claimed is:

l. A variable hexagon spanner comprising a longitudinally extendinghandle and a spanner head pivotally connected together, said spannerhead being arranged to extend longitudinally from said handle and havinga hexagonal key hole spaced from the pivot point between said handle andspanner head, said key hole having a first half and a second halfextending generally transversely of the longitudinal direction of saidspanner head, said second half being spaced further from the pivot pointthan said first half and having a width of one side which is less thanthe width of the oppositely disposed side in said first half, saidhandle having a protrusion thereon arranged to project a variabledistance into the hexagonal keyhole in said spanner head in dependanceon' the pivoted relationship between said handle and spanner head foreffecting an operative engagement of said spanner with a hexagon headdisposed in said hexagonal keyhole, wherein the improvement comprises apair of pivot pins secured to one of said handle and spanner headwitheach said pivot pin being positioned on an opposite side of thelongitudinal axis of the one of said handle and spanner head to whichthe pins are secured, andthe other one of said handle and spanner headhaving at least one opening arranged to receive said pivot pins and theopening having an arcuate edge surface for each said pivot pin alongwhich said pivot pin ridesso that in dependence on the direction ofmovement of said handle said spanner head can pivot relative theretoabout one of said pivot pins which contact the opening at the end thearcuate edge surface while the other said pivot pin is freelydisplaceable along the other said arcuate edge surface, and saidprotrusion on said handle having a cam surface thereon arranged tocontact a hexagon head within said key hole opposite the side of thesecond half of said key hole having the lesser width, and the locationof contact of said cam surface and the hexagon head being relative tothe angular position of the longitudinal axis of said handle and spannerhead, but irrespective of the direction of movement of said handle.

2. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 2, characterized inthat said cam surface extends traversely of and is symmetrical to thelongitudinal axis of said handle.

3. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 2, characterized inthat said pivot pins being secured to said handle and being positionedsymmetrically on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said handle.

4. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 3, characterized inthat the opening for receiving said pivot pins comprises a singleopening in said spanner head into which said pivot pins extend, and theopening being formed on two sides by a pair of oppositely disposedarcuately shaped edge surfaces, each symmetrically arranged on anopposite side of the longitudinal axis of said spanner head.

5. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 3, characterized inthat the opening for receiving said pivot pins comprises a pair ofarcuately curved slots in said spanner head, each disposed on anopposite side of, and equally spaced from, the longitudinal axis of saidspanner head.

6, A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 1, characterized inthat said handle and spanner head being ar ranged in co-planarrelationship.

7. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 1, characterized inthat the part of said handle extending longitudinally from said spannerhead being positioned in a plane disposed at an angle to the plane ofsaid spanner head.

8. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 3, characterized inthat said pivot pins being secured to said spanner head and beingpositioned symmetrically on opposite

1. A variable hexagon spanner comprising a longitudinally extendinghandle and a spanner head pivotally connected together, said spannerhead being arranged to extend longitudinally from said handle and havinga hexagonal key hole spaced from the pivot point between said handle andspanner head, said key hole having a first half and a second halfextending generally transversely of the longitudinal direction of saidspanner head, said second half being spaced further from the pivot pointthan said first half and having a width of one side which is less thanthe width of the oppositely disposed side in said first half, saidhandle having a protrusion thereon arranged to project a variabledistance into the hexagonal keyhole in said spanner head in dependanceon the pivoted relationship between said handle and spanner head foreffecting an operative engagement of said spanner with a hexagon headdisposed in said hexagonal keyhole, wherein the improvement comprises apair of pivot pins secured to one of said handle and spanner head witheach said pIvot pin being positioned on an opposite side of thelongitudinal axis of the one of said handle and spanner head to whichthe pins are secured, and the other one of said handle and spanner headhaving at least one opening arranged to receive said pivot pins and theopening having an arcuate edge surface for each said pivot pin alongwhich said pivot pin rides so that in dependence on the direction ofmovement of said handle said spanner head can pivot relative theretoabout one of said pivot pins which contact the opening at the end thearcuate edge surface while the other said pivot pin is freelydisplaceable along the other said arcuate edge surface, and saidprotrusion on said handle having a cam surface thereon arranged tocontact a hexagon head within said key hole opposite the side of thesecond half of said key hole having the lesser width, and the locationof contact of said cam surface and the hexagon head being relative tothe angular position of the longitudinal axis of said handle and spannerhead, but irrespective of the direction of movement of said handle.
 2. Avariable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 2, characterized in thatsaid cam surface extends traversely of and is symmetrical to thelongitudinal axis of said handle.
 3. A variable hexagon spanner, as setforth in claim 2, characterized in that said pivot pins being secured tosaid handle and being positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of thelongitudinal axis of said handle.
 4. A variable hexagon spanner, as setforth in claim 3, characterized in that the opening for receiving saidpivot pins comprises a single opening in said spanner head into whichsaid pivot pins extend, and the opening being formed on two sides by apair of oppositely disposed arcuately shaped edge surfaces, eachsymmetrically arranged on an opposite side of the longitudinal axis ofsaid spanner head.
 5. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim3, characterized in that the opening for receiving said pivot pinscomprises a pair of arcuately curved slots in said spanner head, eachdisposed on an opposite side of, and equally spaced from, thelongitudinal axis of said spanner head.
 6. A variable hexagon spanner,as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that said handle and spannerhead being arranged in co-planar relationship.
 7. A variable hexagonspanner, as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the part of saidhandle extending longitudinally from said spanner head being positionedin a plane disposed at an angle to the plane of said spanner head.
 8. Avariable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 3, characterized in thatsaid pivot pins being secured to said spanner head and being positionedsymmetrically on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said spannerhead.
 9. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth in claim 8,characterized in that the opening for receiving said pivot pins beinglocated in said handle.
 10. A variable hexagon spanner, as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said spanner head at the end spaced from said key holebeing slotted for receiving said handle therein for relative pivotalengagement with said spanner head.